---
title: "Disable Windows Search – here's how"
url: https://lookeen.com/blog/disable-windows-search-here-s-how
lang: en
description: "There are several reasons to disable Windows Search. Find out now how to quickly get rid of Windows Search."
author: "Ben Golling"
published: 2015-11-16T09:38:20+00:00
modified: 2026-11-11T06:29:46+00:00
---

# Disable Windows Search – here's how

There are several reasons why you should disable the built-in Windows Search feature. For instance, Windows Search continuously indexes your data in the background to enable faster access when needed. It is particularly frustrating that Windows Search still fails to deliver quick results despite this. Furthermore, the Windows Search process consumes important system resources, especially on devices with limited RAM. The problem becomes even more severe if you work within a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment.

## How easily you can disable Windows Search in Windows 7

[Search files in seconds with Lookeen – Learn more about it here!](https://lookeen.com/product/overview)

1.  To do this, click *Start* on the taskbar.

2.  From there, select *Control Panel*.

![Control Panel](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Windows-Suche-Deaktivieren-Schritt11.jpg)

3.  Now click on *Programs and Features* (in category view, via the intermediate step *Programs*).

![Programs and Features](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Windows-Suche-Deaktivieren-Schritt21-1.jpg)

4.  On the left side, you will see the entry *Turn Windows features on or off*, a simple left-click opens a list.

![Windows Features](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Windows-Suche-Deaktivieren-Schritt31-1.jpg)

5.  Here, you must scroll to find the entry *Windows Search*.

![Windows Search](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Windows-Suche-Deaktivieren-Schritt41-1.jpg)

6.  Remove the checkmark next to Windows Search by clicking the checkbox. You must confirm the pop-up warning message with *Yes*. Windows will now apply changes to the system.

![Windows Features](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Windows-Suche-Deaktivieren-Schritt5jpg-1.jpg)

7.  As soon as this process is complete, the system will prompt you to restart.

![Restart](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Windows-Suche-Deaktivieren-Schritt61.jpg)

Once you confirm this, not only will the search bar disappear from your Start menu and Windows Explorer but also the complete indexing of your data by Windows Search will be disabled.

![No Windows Search Box](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Windows-Suche-Deaktivieren-Schritt71.jpg)

If you wish to re-enable Windows Search, simply repeat the steps described above and check the box next to the *Windows Search* entry again.

## Quick guide for all Windows versions

There is another way to disable Windows Search:

1.  Use the shortcut *Windows key + R*

2.  Type *services.msc* into the field that opens and then press *OK*

![Windows Key + R](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Windows-Taste-R.jpg)

3.  The new window *Services* will open

4.  Scroll here until you find *Windows Search* and perform a *double-click*

![Windows Search Services](https://lookeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Windows-Search-Dienste-e1607418945423.jpg)

5.  In the *General* tab, you can now *Stop* Windows Search.

6.  In the *Startup type* dropdown, click *Disabled* if you want to turn off Windows Search in the future as well.

7.  If you wish to re-enable Windows Search, you can also set this in the *Startup type* dropdown.

## Alternative search solution

If you have now realized that you actually do need search functionality in Windows. Or if you disabled the search only to improve performance in a virtual network environment, a professional search solution like Lookeen could be a [suitable alternative](https://lookeen.com/solutions/alternatives/alternatives) for you. Because Lookeen [also works quickly and without issues in virtual server and desktop environments](https://lookeen.com/solutions/search-in-vdi/desktop-search-in-vdi). It helps users quickly find emails, PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and many other file types. Microsoft Outlook is searched just like Microsoft Exchange Server, hard drives, or file servers. The user-friendly interface of [Lookeen](https://lookeen.com/) leads to more effective searching with significantly faster results. By providing extensive group policies, IT administrators can easily deploy and manage Lookeen in the virtual Citrix environment.

I hope this article has been helpful to you in disabling your Windows Search.

See you soon!